Of Galaxies and Mudbloods
by Mockingjaybird
Summary: After being assulted on school grounds and rescued by a stranger, Andromeda Black's world turns upside down just as an opposition threatens itself at Hogwarts. Summary really sucks. Read and Review!


**AN: So I got this idea after writing an entry for Cheeky Slytherin Lass' 100 Characters Competition. This I suppose is my new series. I do not own Harry Potter! Enjoy!**

….

_Year 1969: August_

…

The clatter of silver spoon against delicate wine glass echoed over the loud voices of party guests. "May I please have your attention?" Cygnus Black asked as he peered at the dinner guests from his spot at the head of the table. When heads turned, Cygnus said, "I am pleased to announce that my middle daughter, Andromeda, is betrothed to Rabastan Lestrange!"

Cheers and applause lit up the room. Both Lestrange and Black families look pleased. This would now be two marriages in both families.

Amidst the applause, Andromeda Black was not happy. She thought Rabastan was nice and they seemed to get along in good company, yet she didn't like him in that way. As she glanced across the dinner table, Rabastan didn't look too pleased either.

"Now, they won't be married straight away; only after they finish their education," Cygnus included.

Good, Andromeda thought, two more years until I'm stuck with him forever.

With the company in good spirits, the party continued.

…

_Year 1969: October-Hogsmeade_

…_._

"Shoot, I forgot my essay back in the Inn. You two go on ahead. I'll catch up with you two later," sixteen year-old Andromeda told her sisters, as the trio walked back from a late night in Hogsmeade.

"Are you sure you wouldn't want us to wait for you?" Narcissa asked.

"It's okay. I'll see you back in the Common Room."

Andromeda walked back and retrieved her essay for Herbology that she had forgotten on the counter. As she walked back out, Andromeda remembered that she had crammed all of her books and work into her book bag that morning, making it heavy on her petite shoulder. As she tried to balance the weight on her shoulder, the bag split open. She sighed and threw the bag off. She was alone on the cool night as shops were in the process of closing, as she picked up her things. She suddenly heard footsteps.

"Well, well, well, what's this?" Andromeda stared up at Richard Maltus and his two cronies.

She glared at him. She hated him ever since he had acted coldly towards her in Third year. Her parents had considered putting him on their list as a potential husband, which in the end had gone to Rabastan. Andromeda was glad it did.

"Bug off, Maltus." Andromeda continued to gather her things. It was getting colder outside.

"Hmm, Herbology essay? I haven't done mine yet; you'd think the Professor would notice the handwriting?" Richard stooped down and grasped the paper in his hand.

"Give that back!" Andromeda protested, reaching for her wand inches away from her. Richard's foot stomped down on her wand, just as she had touched it. She shot him a death glare.

"What do you think we should do with her you two? Make her beg us to give it back?"

"What do you-hey!" Andromeda was pulled up by the wrist. Richard gripped her wrists hard as he pulled her close to him.

"What do you say, Black?" His voice was slurred and smelled like Fire-whiskey.

Andromeda was disgusted. "You're drunk!" she exclaimed struggling, but it only made him grab on tighter. He pushed her against a nearby wall.

"Not…really…saaay…why don't….we…" he stopped and sloppily kissed her on the lips. Andromeda's eyes widened and she writhed to get him off. She screamed against his mouth as he pressed her wrists into the stone wall.

"Say, boss. When do we get a turn?" one of his cronies asked. Richard did not answer as he was too busy in his current task. He grabbed onto her collar and as she tugged away, it ripped.

"_Get off of her!" _someone shouted and a jet of scarlet light was hurled in the four's direction. One of the cronies jumped out of the way and the jet hit a tree. Richard stopped what he was doing and brandished his wand, pointing it in the direction of the intruder. "Stupefy!" Richard bellowed and a red jet of light shot out. Andromeda was thrown into the shadows.

The two cronies joined in and soon it was three against one. As spells danced in the sky, the intruder stopped casting. Everything grew quiet for a moment. The intruder seemed to disappear against the dark street.

"Come on out! Don't be a coward!" Richard yelled out, pointing his wand in different directions.

Andromeda wondered where the figure could be. Suddenly, she heard a grunt and a fist hitting flesh. She turned her head towards the sound. Richard and the figure were throwing punches and one connected with the figure's jaw-line. He stumbled back into the darkness and disappeared again.

Andromeda tried hard to pinpoint any other movement in the shadows. But she couldn't find anything. Then something grazed her wrist and she stiffened. "Take my hand," a voice whispered lowly. Andromeda glanced at Richard who was now turning and looking for his adversary. What did she have to lose?

Andromeda found what she presumed was the voice's hand. She slowly, slowly began to move and soon the hand she was clinging to pulled her hard and the two were running, no longer being quiet about it.

They were soon followed by Richard's shouts. The figure guided Andromeda through back alleys she had never known were there. He pulled her down one and around the corner, suddenly shoving her against a wall. His hands pressed into the stone on either side of her head and she could feel his breath inches from her hair. She looked up at him in wonder. His strong jaw-line had a dark spot on it; what Andromeda guessed as a forming bruise. She adverted here eyes and stared, wide-eyed at his chest as the two were concealed in the shadows.

Footsteps passed right by them. They stayed like that for a few seconds as the figure pulled her along again. "Diffindo!" someone shouted and a jet of light barreled down the small alley. The figure pushed Andromeda ahead of him and he cried out, clutching his arm.

"Stupefy!" the figure called and from far down the alley, someone shouted.

They continued running and their exit was cut off by one of the cronies. "Petrificus Totalus!" the crony yelled as the figure used a protection spell. "Flipendo!" the figure yelled and the crony was knocked back. The figure cast the crony's spell back at him, rendering him frozen.

There was only Richard left.

The two were led back into the opening where the fight first began. In the light, Andromeda saw that the figure was wounded.

"You're…bleeding!" Andromeda exclaimed as he looked down at his arm.

"I'm fine." He winced.

She also noticed the yellow and black tie hung loosely around his collar. "You're a…Hufflepuff?"

"Yeah. What are you?"

Andromeda's hand went to her own collar when she remembered that she had taken off her tie earlier that night and stuffed it in her bag. She was only wearing the primary parts of the uniform-shirt, skirt, socks and shoes.

"I'm in-_watch out!"_ She pushed him with all her might and the two toppled over as a jet of red light barely missed them.

"Crucio!" Richard yelled. The jet missed them again.

"Crawl!" Andromeda ordered and grabbed the Hufflepuff's arm. He hissed. "Sorry!" She pushed him in front of her.

"Crucio!"

The light hit Andromeda's back and a hot pain shot through her veins as her head hit the cobblestone. Her view on the task ahead loosened and she let out a scream. She saw a blurred vision of the Hufflepuff's mouth move and a light that projected out of his wand. A yell followed. She saw a light return back and hit the man besides her. He screamed, and though it sounded muffled in her ears, he crumbled to the floor.

Andromeda was losing it. The last thing she had saw were tall figures looming in the distance as her world turned black.

…

_Hospital Wing:_

When she woke up, she was surrounded by Bellatrix, Narcissa, Professor Dumbledore, and her Head of House, Professor Bonder.

Andromeda's head felt dizzy. "Please Miss Black, take it easy. You hit your head hard on that stone," Dumbledore addressed.

"W-where's-?"

"Mr. Maltus has been suspended and will be brought forth to the Ministry for using one of the Unforgivable Curses. As for the young man that we found with you, he's…well remaining unconscious until tonight."

Andromeda wanted to ask why, but was interrupted when the nurse came over. "Headmaster, I'm sorry to say that visiting hours are now over. Girls, you can visit tomorrow morning, but right now, Miss Black should have some time to herself."

"We'll go grab your things, Andromeda," Narcissa said with a worried look on her pale face. "We'll be back tomorrow."

Bellatrix and Narcissa walked out together as the nurse led Dumbledore and Bonder way from her bed. They talked in low voices.

Andromeda tried to concentrate on their words. "Where could the boy possible learn that Curse?" the nurse's voice.

She didn't hear the answer, but heard bits and pieces of the next few sentences. "We…careful…safety of students…stake. Daily Prophet will…over…next…weeks."

Andromeda closed her eyes. What could that mean? The voices stopped and footsteps retreated with the final greeting of, "We'll wake him up after dinner tonight."

…

After she had fallen asleep, Andromeda was awoken by screams. The room was dark except for a quantity of light to her left. She slowly turned her head towards the sound.

A boy with a bandage wrapped around his head of blonde hair thrashed around in his bed. Two hands pushed him back as he calmed down, breathing heavily, as he realized his surroundings.

"You are in the Hospital Wing, Mr. Tonks," Dumbledore told him. "Do you remember what happened?"

There was silence for a few seconds before a mellow voice under pain answered, "I…I was walking back from the Three Broomsticks…when I heard a lot of voices talking…so…I went to…investigate…and then I saw that…that _ingrate _kissingthat girl…and she sounded like she was screaming…so I stepped in to help her. We…the girl and I…were trying to get away…and then he cursed her! He actually cursed her!" The boy's hands knotted into the sheets before he continued. "I stunned him…but he…he cursed me too… right before…everything went black."

"Well, I'd like to inform you that Mr. Maltus shall be tried for using one of the Unforgivable Curses. As for the girl you were with, she is resting right now."

"Is she okay?"

"Yes. She's fine now. As for you, you were cut pretty deeply in the arm. I stopped the flow and closed the wound up as much as I could, but there could be scarring," the nurse said.

The boy didn't say anything. "Your parents shall be informed of the instances that have occurred. Please get some rest. You'll be let out in a day or two," Dumbledore informed.

With a farewell, Dumbledore left the Wing as the nurse said, "I'm right down the hall if you need anything, Mr. Tonks." Her footsteps receded away and the lights turned off.

There was a silence in the room as the two students were the only occupants. Andromeda waited for what she thought was ten minutes before threw back her sheets and her feet softly touched the cold, marble floor. She had to thank him.

She took slow careful steps toward his bed as her bare-feet padded across the ground. She stopped at his bed; his eyes opened slowly, revealing that they were a deep blue.

"You-!" he began before she cut him off.

"Slytherin."

"Pardon?"

"I'm in Slytherin," Andromeda answered. The boy laughed. It sounded melodious to Andromeda. "You're a lot nicer than most of the Slytherins," he said.

"And you're a lot braver than most of the Hufflepuffs. Thank you for saving me today."

"It was my pleasure…Miss?"

"Black. Andromeda Black."

"Well, it was my pleasure Miss Black. I'm Ted Tonks."

…

**AN: Please review! Hope you like it!**


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